The House bill contained a provision (sec. 1675) that would
require the Director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), no later
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, to
commence a concept definition, design, research, development, and
engineering evaluation of a space-based ballistic missile
intercept and defeat layer to the ballistic missile defense
system, and submit a report to the congressional defense
committees on the findings of such concept development no later
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

The Senate bill contained no similar provision, but included
language in the report accompanying its bill, that would request a
report from the Missile Defense Agency on the
need for a space-based interceptor layer, assessment of the
maturity of necessary technology, and an estimate of the
effectiveness and cost of such a space-based missile defense
layer.

The Senate recedes with an amendment that would require the
Director of the Missile Defense Agency, in coordination with the
Director of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency and the
Secretary of the Air Force, to commence the concept definition of
a space-based ballistic missile intercept layer and report its
findings to the defense committees not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act. The conference
agreement does not include the language in the original House
provision that would direct MDA to begin design, engineering
evaluations, or research and development on a space-based layer.

Not later than March 31, 2016, the Director of the Missile
Defense Agency shall provide to the congressional defense
committees an interim briefing on the plan described in subsection
(c) (2). In light of this conference agreement, the Missile
Defense Agency does not have to submit to the congressional
defense committees the report on a space-based missile defense
interceptor as directed in the Senate Report 114-49 accompanying
the Senate bill.